Through a career that has spanned decades, Hoffman has developed a unique practice that situates documentary within a deeply personal realm. He creates collage films with footage that has been collected over years and decades to create as much records of feelings and emotion as documents of actual historic events, creating deeply complex, honest and strikingly profound diaristic portraits of live, love, memory and loss. Hoffman's filmmaking began with his boyhood interest in photography. As the semi-official historian of family life, Hoffman because intrigued with questions of reality in photography and later in cinema. After completing his formal education which includes a Diploma in Media Arts and a B.A. in Literature, Hoffman began working on his films, as well as teaching film, electronic and computer-based media. He is currently an Associate Professor of Film Production at York University. Aside from being singularly talented, Hoffman is also a filmmaker of generosity, who has worked at building opportunities for other filmmakers for decades, most especially through his 15 year old Film Farm Retreat. Since its inception, only four Manitoba filmmakers have been invited to participate in Hoffman's retreat, making this Manitoba Hoffman series a rare local opportunity to obtain the Film Farmexperience.